The Next Generation
by Miriku-'-'-Yami no Hikari
Summary: It's been ten years since Yugi Mutou disappeared. Watch as his only son struggles through life. Finding friends, making enemies, and discovering a deadly secret that threatens to destroy the world as they know it...
1. Chapter 1

**I've been meaning to post this story for a while now, but never really got around to it. So here it is!**

**Disclaimer Dude:** Miriku does not own YuGiOh. She only owns the OCs.

**Chapter One/Prologue  
Nightmare**

It had been ten years since he disappeared; yet the memos with a picture still circulated around Domino City.

**MISSING  
****Name: Yugi Mutou  
****Date of Disappearance: March 6th, 1995  
****Place of Disappearance: Domino City, Japan  
****Age when Missing: 24  
****If found, please report immediately to the authorities.**

No one ever found where, exactly, the King of Games had gone. Some said he was kidnapped; others said murdered. Many thought he had run away to America. They all agreed on one thing, though; wherever he was, he most likely wasn't coming back.

After hearing the news, his wife, Rebecca Mutou, couldn't stand to live in the city any more. She packed up and moved, taking her only son—Tecuo—with her.

It is now the year 2005. After ten years of living alone, Rebecca decided to move back into Domino City—the place she grew up in, and the place she wanted her son to finish growing up in.

**OooO**

It was nearly midnight. Every light was out in the city—all but one.

In the kitchen of the Kame Game Shop, the light was burning bright. Rebecca, now thirty-two, gazed sadly down at the picture in her hand.

Her face was careworn, with smile creases around her eyes and mouth. Her golden blond hair, touched with silver at the temples, hung down about her face, and her glasses currently rested on the table.

"Yugi," she whispered softly, caressing the photo. "Where are you?"

**OooO**

Upstairs in his room, fourteen-year-old Tecuo tossed and turned in his sleep.

He looked almost exactly like his father had at fourteen. Anyone who had ever seen Yugi at that age would swear up and down that Tecuo was him. The only difference between their appearances was that the edges of Tecuo's hair were blue, instead of magenta. He was even the same height as his father had been.

Tecuo let out a faint whimper, rolling onto his side. "Daddy," he mumbled.

He rolled over again—right off the edge of the bed.

He let out a startled yelp, scrambling to his feet. Grumbling, he straightened his pajamas.

"Tecuo?" It was his mother. "Are you all right in there?"

"I'm fine, Mom," he called back. "Just fell off the bed, is all."

Mrs. Mutou laughed. "You ought to be more careful."

"It wasn't _my_ fault!" he protested.

Another laugh. "If you insist. Now, get some rest—school starts up again tomorrow, and I don't want you sleeping in class!"

"Yes, Mom."

He jumped back onto his bed and pulled up the covers, but thoughts raced around in his head.

_This nightmare…why do I keep having it?_

It was the same every night. He would be a little kid again—maybe around four—and be going downstairs for a drink of water. When he reached the ground floor, he'd hear a crash. Entering the kitchen, he'd see his father—who had long outgrown his height problem—fighting a stranger with a crescent-shaped scar running from the middle of his forehead along the right side of his face to the middle of his chin. His father would shout at him to run—but he would stay right in the door, bemused. And then the stranger would do—_something—_and his father would be knocked unconscious. And then they were gone, leaving him confused and bemused amid the shattered glass of the window. His mother would come running down the stairs—and scream.

It was always the same, and it had plagued him for as long as he could remember. He had never told anyone—not even his mother.

_Why am I always seeing this dream?_

It didn't make any sense. And it always seemed so _real._

Tecuo let out a yawn. _I can worry about it tomorrow,_ he though drowsily, drifting into sleep.

Unbeknownst to him _or_ his mother, a presence watched the house. It was neither benevolent nor malevolent—merely there; merely watching. In seconds, it disappeared.

And Tecuo Mutou's fate was sealed.

**Well? Is it any good? Review, please!**


	2. New Friends

**To the two of you who reviewed: Yay! You reviewed! I was afraid I wouldn't get any response!  
Go, Disclaimer Dude!**

**Disclaimer Dude:** Miriku only owns the OCs in this story.

**Yeah! Shame on you idiots who think a wonderful work of art such as YuGiOh could have come from the hands of a paranoid Floridian girl such as moi! _Worship Takahashi-sama!_  
Ahem...enjoy the chapter!**

**Chapter Two  
New Friends**

_Bzzt…_

_Bzzt…_

_Bzzt…_

Tecuo moaned, rolling over in his sleep. "Go 'way," he mumbled.

_Bzzt…_

_Bzzt…_

_Bzzt…_

_BZZZZZZZT!_

Tecuo leapt out of bed with a startled yelp. "I'm up, I'm up!"

Grumbling, he switched off the alarm clock and opened the closet. He quickly slid into his school uniform and brushed his hair. As he reached for his backpack, a glimmer of gold caught his eye.

On his desk rested a small gold box. It was carved with all kinds of symbols and hieroglyphics. Most prominent on the front was an eye.

Tecuo looked at it for the longest moment. It seemed almost familiar to him.

_But…how did it get there? It wasn't there when I went to bed last night…_

Almost without thinking, he reached out and touched the box. Something inside him seemed to click.

"Tecuo!" Mrs. Mutou called. "Are you up yet?"

Tecuo stuffed the box in his backpack and headed downstairs.

_I'll puzzle it out later,_ he thought resolvedly, sitting down at the breakfast table.

Mrs. Mutou smiled, setting a large omelet in front of him. "I figured that, since this is a special day, you get a special breakfast!"

"Thanks, Mom!" Tecuo exclaimed, digging in. He finished it in seconds.

"Now, go on—you remember where the school is, right?"

"Right! See you later!"

Tecuo headed out the door and down the street, looking around in wonder. He'd grown up in a small town, and the height of most of the buildings in this city amazed him.

He felt the box inside his backpack thump against his back.

_I wonder what's _in_ there…?_

**OooO**

Tecuo sat at the back of his first class, looking around at the chattering students. Everyone in here was so much _taller_ than him…

The teacher, a woman with long black hair and sharp blue eyes, rapped her ruler on her desk. "Now, I know your summer vacations have been exciting," she admonished, "but please save it for later!"

The class immediately quieted down. The teacher smiled.

"Now, as most of you know, I am Ms. Alia."

"Hello, Ms. Alia," the class chorused in response.

"Yes, hello, and welcome to another year at Dominion High!"

There were a few groans from the students.

"All right, class!" Ms. Alia called as the bell rang. "I need you to open your books to page 135, section A…"

**OooO**

Tecuo could hardly believe it, but he actually _enjoyed_ his classes. All his teachers were nice—and he was so small that everyone usually looked him over. He was left completely alone; and that was pretty much the way he wanted it.

Too soon, the end-of-school bell rang. Tecuo had to squeeze back against a wall to avoid being trampled. Grumbling, he exited the room and headed for the stairs.

"Well, what've we got here?"

Tecuo froze. Three _huge_ boys were blocking the stairwell.

The first boy bared his teeth. "Looks like a shrimp!"

The boy on his left crossed his arms. "This is _our_ stairwell, shrimp!"

Tecuo backed away. "Okay!" he squeaked. "I'll go somewhere else, then!"

Quick as a flash, the third boy grabbed him and twisted his arms behind his back. "Too late," he hissed. "You already crossed us."

Tecuo struggled to break free, but the other boy's grip was too strong.

Suddenly, a girl's voice echoed from behind the third boy.

"What _are_ you three doing?"

The boys paled visibly. The third boy quickly flung Tecuo to the floor and whipped around. Tecuo, still trembling, edged back towards the wall.

A girl with shaggy blond hair and deep brown eyes stood with her hands on her hips, glaring at them. Next to her was a girl with silver hair and blue eyes that glittered dangerously.

"What have we told you about bullying?" the second girl asked quietly.

The boys stammered out apologies, backing away.

The first girl raised her fist. "Scram."

They did so, yelping like scared puppies. Tecuo watched them go, starting to feel a bit afraid of them himself.

The concern in their eyes as they hurried up to him banished the fear entirely.

"They didn't hurt, you, did they?" the second girl asked.

Tecuo shook his head, rising to his feet. He barely reached their waists.

"You came just in time…"

"Those _damn_ bullies," the first girl spat, glaring off after where they went. "Oh, if only we could teach them another lesson!"

Tecuo blinked. He had never met such _violent_ girls.

"I'm Kania, by the way," the second girl said. "Kania Bakura."

"And I'm Soria Wheeler," the first said. "Nice to meet you."

"You mean, nice to _save_ me," Tecuo muttered dryly.

Soria burst out laughing. "Now _that's_ a good one! I have _got_ to tell my dad about that one!"

Tecuo fell silent, remembering his dream. _Dad…_

Kania put a hand on his shoulder. "Hey, buddy—you okay?"

"Yeah…"

Jena furrowed her brow. "I think I've seen you somewhere before!" she burst out, looking at Tecuo. "I just can't remember where!"

"I doubt it," Tecuo laughed. "Now, come on—I need to get home soon, or my mom'll kill me!"

"Me too," Soria said.

Kania giggled. "Me three!"

Laughing, the three of them made their way down the stairs and out the door.

"There's my mom!" Soria exclaimed, pointing at a hot pink convertible. She dashed down to the car, followed by Kania. Tecuo started on his way home, shaking his head. _Girls…_

"Wait!" Soria called. "What's your name?"

"Tecuo!" he called over his shoulder.

**OooO**

Soria glanced at Kania. "He said Tecuo, right?"

"Yep."

Soria opened the car door. "Hi Mom! Oh—hi Mrs. Bakura!"

Mrs. Bakura smiled, absently swiping her brown hair out of her eyes as she turned to face Soria from the passenger seat.

"Hello, Soria. Your mother offered to drive Kania home, and I thought I'd come with her."

Soria slid in, and beckoned to Kania to follow.

"Mom!" Kania exclaimed. "What are _you_ doing here?"

Mrs. Bakura explained it again as Mrs. Wheeler started the car.

Seeing something half familiar out of the corner of her eye, Mrs. Wheeler turned—and froze. Just rounding the corner was a boy that looked almost exactly like one of _her_ childhood friends—a man that had been missing for going on ten years now.

_Yugi…_

**OooO**

Tecuo sat at his desk with a sigh. His homework was done—and there was only one thing nagging at him.

He reached into his backpack and pulled out the gold box. He hadn't told anyone about it—not even his mom.

He carefully scrutinized the box. There had to be _some_ way to open it…

Without thinking, he rested his hand on the lid. It pushed down a bit. He pushed harder, and the lid sank in further. He let go, and it sprang open on cleverly concealed hinges.

_Sneaky,_ he thought, peering into the box.

It was full of small, angular pieces of gold. To Tecuo, they had the semblance of a big jigsaw puzzle.

And Tecuo and always loved puzzles.

"You get it from your father," Mrs. Mutou had told him. "From what I've been told, he was always putting something or other together. You seem to have inherited that."

Entranced, Tecuo picked up two of the pieces.

_Click…click…_

"Nope," he murmured, setting one down and picking up another. "Maybe this one…"

_Click…click…_

"Maybe not…"

And the presence was there; watching; waiting.

**Well? Whaddaya think? Review, please!**


	3. Another Day, Another Secret

**Cool--I got three chapters posted in under five days! It's a miracle!  
Go, Disclaimer Dude!**

**Disclaimer Dude:** Miriku owns nothing more than the OCs.

**Chapter 3  
****Another Day, Another Secret...**

_BZZZZT!_

Tecuo jolted awake.

"Wha…?"

He had fallen asleep at his desk, which was now littered with the small gold pieces.

Sighing, he collected them and dropped them into the box. He felt an almost insane need to just _finish_ the thing—but to do that, he'd have to figure out how to make it _work._

He quickly changed into his uniform, shoved the box into his backpack, and bolted down the stairs.

"Morning, Mom!"

Mrs. Mutou smiled at him. "Good morning, dear. I made scrambled eggs this morning."

"All right!"

He shoveled down his breakfast, and dashed out the door, calling a goodbye over his shoulder.

Mrs. Mutou shook her head, still smiling. "Tecuo Mutou, what ever am I going to do with you? You're just like your father…"

She glanced at the framed photo on the counter—one of her and her husband.

"Yugi…"

**OooO**

"Hey! _Tecuo!_ Wait _up!_"

Tecuo looked around, confused. He saw Soria and Kania running up from behind.

"_Jeez!_" Soria panted, when the two of them caught up. "For a midget, you sure walk fast!"

Kania elbowed her. "Soria! Be nice!"

"What did I _do?_"

Tecuo rolled his eyes. _Girls…_

Soria grinned at Tecuo. "Mind if we join you?"

"Nope—come on!"

The three of them started off down the road, chattering to each other.

Suddenly, a limo drove by. It slowed, and the window rolled down. A boy of about sixteen, with short, jet-black hair and cobalt eyes leaned his head out.

"Well, if it isn't the dork convention!" he called tauntingly. "Looks like you got a new member!"

Soria put her hands on her hips. "Lukas Kaiba, you are _so_ gonna pay for that one!"

Lukas laughed. "As if!"

Tecuo could barely conceal his shock. These two were on first-name terms—with a _Kaiba?_ He still remembered Mrs. Mutou's description of his father's rival, Seto Kaiba—a cold, selfish man who was always focused on himself.

Lukas dropped his mocking expression. "I haven't heard from you girls in a while—how've you been?"

Soria rolled her eyes. "You _go_ to our school—can't you find out from there?"

Lukas just shrugged.

Kania giggled. "You'll never get to him like that," she said to Soria.

Tecuo stood back, letting the three of them talk. This was one of _their_ friends—he didn't want to interfere. He glanced at his watch—and yelped. "Come on, guys! If we don't hurry, we're gonna be late to school!"

Lukas laughed. "Problem solved!" He pushed open the door of the limo. "Hop in!"

Soria and Kania immediately climbed in. Tecuo hung back, unsure of himself.

"Oh, come _on!_" Soria exclaimed, grabbing his wrist and pulling him in. "It's _just_ a limo!"

Tecuo slipped uneasily into the seat next to her. Kania sat across from them, next to Lukas.

"Thanks for the ride, Lukas," Kania was saying. "It's real nice of you."

Lukas shrugged. "Don't mention it. I'm not as uptight about that ranking stuff as my father is."

"How _is_ your father?" Soria asked.

Lukas' face darkened. "Not very good. Not since…well, you know."

Kania and Soria nodded, leaving Tecuo wondering what had happened.

Lukas' face brightened again as he turned to face Tecuo. "Well, I think it's time for introductions. I'm—"

"Lukas," Tecuo replied quietly. "I heard. My name's Tecuo."

Lukas flashed a slightly malevolent grin at Soria. "He's a shy one, isn't he?"

Tecuo felt himself blush slightly, even as Kania elbowed Lukas—_hard._

"OWW! Hey, what did _I_ do!"

At that moment, they pulled up to the school. The four of them climbed out.

"See you after school!" Lukas called. "Oh, and—Tecuo?"

Tecuo turned back to him. "Yeah?"

Lukas grinned. "I sure hope you duel as well as your old man—or the 'family rivalry' won't mean much of anything!"

With that, he walked away.

Soria raised an eyebrow. "What just happened?"

"I'm not sure," Tecuo murmured. "But I have the feeling I've just made friends with one of my greatest rivals…!"

"Well, _I'm_ lost," Kania said. "What _are_ you talking about?"

Tecuo shook his head. "It was between our fathers—Lukas' and mine. They were arch rivals at Duel Monsters. They finally reconciled, after being bitter enemies for years. Not long after that, my dad…he…"

Tecuo closed his eyes. "Never mind." His voice broke. "I don't want to talk about it."

Kania put a hand on his shoulder. "Tecuo…?"

Tecuo pulled away, and ran into the school building. Kania was the only one of them who saw the tears in his eyes.

"Kania…"

The shock in Soria's voice made Kania glance sharply at her. "What?"

Soria was slightly pale. "I know why he looks so familiar," she whispered. "I know what he's taking about. I know…why he's so upset."

Kania tapped her foot, indicating that Soria continue.

Soria reached into her backpack, and pulled out an old picture.

"I carry this with me everywhere," she explained to Kania. "It's a picture of my parents—and yours, I think—as teenagers. Take a look."

The picture appeared to have been taken in the Domino Park. In the center, a boy with shaggy blond hair and brown eyes, wearing a light blue T-shirt and jeans, was standing with his arm possessively around the shoulders of a buxom blond, also with brown eyes and wearing all leather. He was chatting to another boy, who had emerald eyes, spiky black hair that was held out of his eyes by a red headband, and an earring with a die on it. On the boy's right was a younger brunette girl, with shimmering blue eyes. She was busy tickling a little boy with long, shaggy, jet-black hair. A boy with long white hair and brown eyes and a girl with dusty brown hair and sapphire eyes lay on the grass, watching the clouds and unconsciously holding hands. A tall boy with brown hair and cobalt eyes stood off to the left of the picture, arms crossed, watching an Arabic-looking girl who had long black hair and cerulean eyes as she conversed with a boy who had pale blond hair and lavender eyes. A short girl with square-rimmed glasses and blond hair up in pigtails sat cross-legged on the grass, nose buried in a book.

But what caught Kania's eye was the boy who stood in the background, grinning up at them all. She nearly did a double-take—he looked almost _exactly_ like Tecuo.

"Flip it over," Soria said quietly.

Kania did so—and read the names.

**(A/N: These are in the order of the description)  
**_Joey Wheeler  
__Mai Valentine  
__Duke Devlin  
__Serenity Wheeler  
__Mokuba Kaiba  
__Ryou Bakura  
__Téa Gardner  
__Seto Kaiba  
__Ishizu Ishtar  
__Malik Ishtar  
__Rebecca Hawkins  
__Yugi Mutou  
__Picture taken by Tristan Taylor_

Kania nodded slightly. "The first two…are your parents, right?"

"Yeah. Go on."

"Duke Devlin…isn't he the creator of Dungeondice Monsters?"

"Mmm-hmm."

"Serenity Wheeler—your cousin's mom, right? And the guy who took the picture—Tristan—that's his dad?"

"Yep."

"Mokuba Kaiba…Lukas' uncle, right?"

Soria nodded, and a slightly pained expression came over her face.

Kania gulped. "Yeah…I'd forgotten about that…"

She looked back down at the picture. "Ryou Bakura and Téa Gardner—_my_ parents. Seto Kaiba and Ishizu Ishtar—Lukas' parents. Malik Ishtar is Lukas' _other_ uncle, on his mom's side.Rebecca Hawkins…isn't she the daughter of that Egyptologist, Professor Hawkins?"

"Granddaughter," Soria corrected. "Look at the last name on that list."

Kania looked closer—and her eyes widened. "No way."

"Way. I think that _Yugi—_is _Tecuo's_ dad."

Kania shook her head. "But…what could have happened?"

Soria pulled a folded sheet of paper out of her pocket, and handed it to her.

"This."

It was a memo—and it said that Yugi had gone missing.

"But this is from ten years ago!" Kania exclaimed. "Haven't they _found_ him yet?"

Soria looked in the direction Tecuo had run away in, and back at Kania. "Considering Tecuo's reaction, I doubt it."

"Oh, _man…_"

"Yeah…"

At that moment, the bell rang. The two of them filtered into the school, along with the other students.

"I just hope he's okay," Soria murmured.

**I suck at keeping things secret, so I decided to tell y'all whose parents are whose right now. Plus, it adds on to the story. So, what do you think?**


	4. Final Completion

**(running from reviewers with torches and pitchforks)  
Look! I updated! Go read--don't chase me!  
Disclaimer Dude, if you please?**

**Disclaimer Dude:** YuGiOh is the copyrighted property of _Kazuki Takahashi,_ not _Miriku Hernandez._

**Chapter 4  
Final Completion**

Luckily, Kania and Soria had their first class with Tecuo. They saw him sitting at the back of the room, bangs shading his eyes. It appeared he was still very upset.

Kania moved to the desk next to him. "Tecuo?"

Tecuo looked up at them. His eyes were slightly bloodshot, and he seemed to have been crying. "What?"

"Are…will you be okay?"

Tecuo studied their anxious faces for a moment, and a faint smile crossed his face. "I think so. It's just…my dad's a touchy subject."

Soria nodded. "We understand."

"We won't bother you about it again," Kania added softly.

From the look of relief on Tecuo's face, Kania knew that it was the best thing she could have said at that point in time—and so did Soria.

**OooO**

_I love my friends,_ Tecuo thought happily, taking his normal spot at the back of the cafeteria. They had cheered him up immensely, just by being there. Between Soria's dirty jokes and Kania's dryly sarcastic comments, they'd had him laughing his head off before the end of first period.

All in all, he was feeling much better.

He sighed, looking around. _Too bad they don't have this period with me. That way, they'd be in my lunch group. Oh well._

His thoughts turned towards the box in his backpack, and the ornate thee-dimensional puzzle it contained.

_Now's as good a time as any, I suppose._

Once again, he felt that strange urge to complete it. The thing entranced him, but he wasn't sure why. Almost automatically, he pulled the box out of his backpack and opened it.

The pieces simply lay there, glimmering. But in that glimmer was challenge; and Tecuo never turned down a challenge.

With unusual single-mindedness, he began to work the complexities of his new-found toy, intent only on the angular pieces of gold sifting through his palms like sand.

And, unknown to all, the presence watched and waited.

_Click._

Tecuo grinned as two of the pieces slid effortlessly together. He hadn't been _twisting_ them the right way—_that_ was his problem. Confident, he began to search the contents of the box for similar pieces.

One or two more pieces fell into place before his lunch wave ended. Muttering a few choice curses under his breath, he stuffed the box—with the connected pieces inside it—into his backpack and darted off after his classmates. He could work on it more after he finished his homework.

The presence seemed to radiate satisfaction. The time was drawing closer.

**OooO**

Kania, Soria, and Tecuo filtered out of the school and down towards the road. "See you guys tomorrow!" Tecuo called.

Suddenly, Soria's cell phone went off.

"Hello?"

"Oh, hi Mom!"

"Yeah, she's right here. Why?"

"All right! Bye!"

Kania raised an eyebrow. "What was that all about?"

"It was my mom. She can't come and pick me up right now, and wanted me to ask your parents to give me a ride home."

"But why can't your dad pick you up?"

Soria sighed. "Dad never gets home until about dinner time."

"Oh."

Hearing a loud car horn, they looked around. Mrs. Bakura waved at them from the passenger window of a sky blue Ferrari.

"Are you girls coming or not?"

The two of them raced down to the car.

"Hiya, Dad!" Kania chirruped, slipping in. "Hiya, Mom!"

Mr. Bakura smiled at her from the driver seat. "Hello, Kania. Soria, come on in. Mai already told us what was happening."

"Thanks a lot, Mr. Bakura!" Soria slid in next to Kania.

"No problem. A friend in need is a friend indeed."

"You sound like Mom," Kania said accusingly.

Mr. Bakura grinned. "That's because I've know her since we were your age."

"How was your day, girls?" Mrs. Bakura asked, cutting off the sharp retort she knew was coming.

"Fine," they replied instantly.

Soria looked out the window. "Well…almost fine."

Kania nodded. "Yeah…I'd forgotten about that…"

Mr. Bakura raised an eyebrow. "About what?"

"It was something I did on accident," Soria explained. "It upset him—badly."

"What did you do?"

Soria remained silent.

"She brought up the subject of his missing father," Kania continued for her. "Who's been missing for about ten years."

Mr. and Mrs. Bakura exchanged glances.

"Why don't you tell us about what happened?" Mrs. Bakura suggested.

And the two of them did just that.

**OooO**

_Click…_

_Click…_

Tecuo grinned. His puzzle was coming together faster and faster.

He looked at the time. Eleven fifty-five—he should have been asleep long ago. But that strange compulsion told him that tonight was the night.

He fished another piece out of the box, and studied the half-finished trinket in his hand. From what he could see now, it was going to look like an inverted pyramid, with a clasp at the top to wear it around your neck.

_That's odd…why would you _wear_ a _puzzle?

Tecuo shrugged it off, and began trying to slide the piece in with its fellows. The light of his desk lamp made the gold shimmer with an almost ethereal glow.

The presence, radiating a sense of satisfaction that increased with every passing second, drew closer to watch.

_Click…_

_Click…_

_Click…_

Tecuo held his breath as he picked up the last piece. It has a few jags on each side, and the same eye that was on the box on it.

The presence nearly squirmed with anticipation. This was what he had been taken from the afterlife to witness. And as soon as this petty task of watching was over, he could return. It was nearly time.

With bated breath, Tecuo set that final piece into its spot. And his alarm hit midnight.

The presence let out a silent howl of triumph.

Tecuo felt a strange sense of fulfillment. He suddenly felt a burning desire to put his newly-completed puzzle on. He fished in his desk, and pulled out a rope. Tying it around the clasp, he slipped it around his neck.

There was a moment when it seemed that Tecuo was looking out of another's eyes; thinking with another's mind. There was a moment of pure clarity, when he saw everything as it was meant to be. There was a moment of sound; a tranquil, liquid note.

And then it was gone.

The presence retreated into the night, satisfied. He could go home now; his task was complete.

The pharaoh—had returned.

**OooO**

**O.O Review, please! I'm already working on chapter five, so don't worry!**


	5. The Pharaoh's Return

**Chapter five! Whoa--if I'm not careful, this story is gonna be my longest one!  
Take 'er away, Disclaimer Dude!**

**Disclaimer Dude:** Miriku does not own YuGiOh.

**Now--on with the chapter!**

**Chapter Five  
The Pharaoh's Return**

It was dark; oh, so dark.

The darkness was the first thing he knew. He felt comfortable in it—darkness had been a part of him, of his very being, for so long.

But…who _was_ he?

He pondered that thought, sitting alone in the vast darkness surrounding him. _Everything_ had a name—everything, it seemed, but him.

_Who…am I?_

The darkness was so calm and peaceful; he felt like falling asleep. But that one nagging thought kept him from slipping into oblivion. He searched the depths of his mind for anything to spark his memory.

Colors flickered before his eyes, dancing in an intricate whirl. He watched them swirl about—reds, blues, greens, and golds.

And bright, shimmering amethyst.

_Amethyst…_

And, quite suddenly, everything snapped into place.

He was Atemu—sometimes known as Yami. Long ago, he had been the pharaoh of Egypt. He had sacrificed himself to save the world from the Shadow Games, and had been locked inside the Millennium Puzzle. Five millennia later, a fourteen-year-old boy named Yugi Mutou had released him—and the Shadow Games.

_Yugi…_

He had helped Yugi become strong, to defeat his enemies and opponents. And, at long last, they had again locked the Shadow Games away. But he had gone with them—and sank back into the darkness that had claimed him before.

Yami looked around. Why was he here, then? Why had he been pulled from his slumber?

The darkness around him began to recede, revealing the familiar corridors and stairs of his home. But it was different, somehow—he just couldn't put his finger on why.

Still quite confused, Yami gently expanded his awareness. There had to be another—or else he wouldn't be awake. There _had_ to have been another to put the Millennium Puzzle together—and, if his memory was correct, the only person able to complete it was Yugi.

Sure enough, he felt another mind, and gently prodded at it.

_/Yugi?_

**OooO**

Tecuo stood in front of the mirror. For all that it was nearly solid gold, his little trinket hardly weighed a thing. Somehow, it seemed to _belong_ with him.

He turned it over in his hands, the rope still around his neck. There was something special about it—he could tell. But what _was_ it?

_/Yugi?_

Tecuo bit back a startled curse, nearly dropping the puzzle. He looked wildly around the room, but saw no one.

_/Yugi…?_

There it was again!

"I'm not Yugi," he said out loud.

There was a wave of confusion from the other presence.

_/But…you _must_ be Yugi…!_

"Says who?" Tecuo retorted.

He suddenly got the impression that someone was rummaging about in his mind. "Quit that!" he said sharply.

_/Sorry…_

Tecuo sighed. "Who _are_ you?"

_/Yami._

Well, that was fast. "Why are you here?"

Silence.

_/I…don't know. All I know is that I am here now, when I should be in slumber. How did you get the Millennium Puzzle?_

The sudden change of topic caught Tecuo by surprise. "The what?" he asked blankly.

There was silence for a moment.

_/Who are _you?

"My name is Tecuo."

_/Tecuo…?_

"Tecuo Mutou, if it means anything to you."

If the total shock Yami radiated was any judge, then it _did_ mean something.

_/Mutou…! Are you _related_ to Yugi, then?_

Tecuo blinked. Whoever he was, this Yami was rather single-minded.

"Yes."

_/Where is he?_

"Missing."

There was absolute silence for a minute or two. Yami had seemed to retreat from the back of Tecuo's mind—andTecuo began to wonder if he'd imagined everything.

Suddenly, he felt the most profound waves of sorrow and regret.

_Why is he so obsessed with my father…?_

Tecuo dimly perceived the other awareness inside his mind. He sank down onto his bed, and slowly tried to explore it. He seemed to go through a wall of seething darkness—and then, he had entered into Yami's awareness.

Yami had a complicated mind, with many twists and turns. Joy overshadowed by grief; sorrow overshadowed by victory. These things he had known, and many others.

And then, Tecuo found memories.

Scenes flickered past, one by one. Tecuo saw them all, reading them backwards from right now to the first. So many adventures; so much danger; so many people.

Tecuo recognized only one; there was _no_ mistaking his father.

He followed this chain of memories(**A/N: **Chain of Memories...Kingdom Hearts, anuone?)backwards—and found what to him was a stunning revelation. Yami's first memories of the modern world were of meeting a teenage Yugi Mutou.

Tecuo just watched, awed slightly. No _wonder_ everyone told him he looked like his father!

"Behold my life, as it is and always has been."

The voice was laden with sorrow. Tecuo whipped around—and got his first look at Yami.

The only description he could come up with was that Yami looked like a sadder, sterner version of his father. He wore what looked like a black tank top and jeans. He had a buckled choker around his neck, and matching wrist bands. His hair was exactly the same.

Yami stood with his arms crossed, scrutinizing Tecuo. He then raised his eyes to the picture from his memory.

"This is how I came to be, in the modern world. Yugi freed me from the Millennium Puzzle—just as you have done now."

Tecuo subconsciously reached towards the Puzzle that still hung around his neck. Yami nodded.

"The Puzzle is one of seven," he continued. "The Millennium Items—Puzzle, Key, Scales, Eye, Ring, Necklace, and Rod. They are magic artifacts of great power. Long ago, the ancient Egyptian pharaohs played Shadow Games with them."

"Shadow Games?"

Yami smiled softly. "You are curious. Just as Yugi was." He looked back up at the chain of memories, and Tecuo saw the hint of sadness in his eyes.

"Why do you like him so much?" Tecuo asked, in a carefully neutral tone. Yami looked back down at Tecuo, surprise written on his face. "You still do not know? Then let me show you."

And suddenly, Tecuo was enveloped in different memory scenes.

A scene where Yami and Yugi stood side by side, commanding a shining dragon to destroy a terrible beast.

A scene where Yugi pushed Yami aside, and was taken away in a whirl of emerald green.

A scene where Yami and Yugi walked with their arms around each other's shoulders, watching the sun set together.

And many more; so many that Tecuo soon lost track.

"We were part of each other," Yami murmured, almost to himself. Tecuo had to strain his ear to catch what he said. "He was my light; I was his darkness. Together, we were whole."

And suddenly, something clicked in Tecuo's mind. Once, when he was very young, he'd heard his parents talking. He hadn't known what they were talking _about—_but now it was all clear.

He tried to remember what they were saying, but it was all foggy.

Yami approached him, interest in his eyes. "Maybe I can help you—" He put a hand on Tecuo's forehead, and a look of intense concentration crossed his face. Suddenly, Tecuo could remember the conversation as if it had happened yesterday.

**Flashback (10 years ago)**

Yugi groaned, resting his head on the table.

Rebecca turned from the stove to look at him. "Are you _still_ harping on that? It's been years, Yugi. Let it lie."

Yugi shook his head. "I _can't_ just 'let it lie', and you very well know that! You don't lose half of your soul every day, you know!"

Rebecca just looked at him for a few moments. A smile crept across her face. "You really do miss having him around, don't you?"

Yugi nodded. "It just isn't the same. I keep reaching out to tell him something—and he's not there any more." His fingers twitched almost imperceptibly towards his chest.

Rebecca took his hand, grinning impishly. "It's not there anymore, remember?"

"Yes…I know…"

At that point, four-year-old Tecuo stumbled in and announced that it was his birthday.

**End Flashback**

"No wonder you look so much like him," Yami said quietly. He closed his eyes. "I have no way to keep track of time—what year is it?"

"2005," Tecuo replied.

"Ah."

There was silence. Yami scrutinized Tecuo with a sharp, piercing gaze. This boy reminded him so much of his previous bearer that it was almost painful.

Tecuo hung his head. He was now sure he'd done something wrong.

Yami sighed. "There's one thing I need to take care of."

Tecuo looked up, interested.

Yami's face took on a look of intense concentration—and the magenta in his hair slowly faded into blue.

Tecuo gaped at him. Yami just smiled.

_BZZZZZZT!_

Tecuo bit back a curse, fleeing back into his own body and mind to get ready for school.

Yami just stood there, smiling softly, surrounded by flickering colors and memories.

_You, Tecuo Mutou, are just like your father. I'm sure he would be proud of you._

He closed his eyes. _I can only hope that my return does not bring _you_ as much suffering as it did him._

**OooO**

**And now, I think it's time I thanked my reviewers!**

**Yamisgirl89  
-'-Chocolate-Coated-Chocobo-'-  
Silver Sailor Ganymede(isn't Ganymede one of Jupiter's moons? Coolness!)  
DigitalTears  
****Yimi Makuya  
AND  
****Xover-girl!**

**Thank you for reviewing! Hope you like the chapters to come!**


	6. School Days

**Ehehehehe...don't kill me! I was just on a major writer's block...like withevery other fic I have...

* * *

School Days **

Kania reached across her desk and tapped Soria on the shoulder. "He's falling asleep again," she murmured, shaking her head.

Soria looked at the desk next to her. Sure enough, Tecuo's head had once more fallen onto his desk, and his eyes were shut.

As she watched, one of his hands began to grope around, until it came to rest on the inverted gold pyramid around his neck. A contented smiled crossed his face, and he continued to sleep peacefully.

Soria shook her head. He had come to school that morning wearing it, and refused to take it off, even when some of the other students began to tease him for it. He just glared at them for a moment, and then returned to what he was doing.

At that moment, the lunch bell rang. The students rushed out the door—all except Soria, Kania, and Tecuo, the former two trying to wake the latter.

"Hey, Tecuo," Soria whispered. "Is that an ultra-rare, fresh-off-the-press Duel Monsters card I see?"

Tecuo's head jerked up off the desk. "_Where?_"

Kania and Soria collapsed into laughter, leaning on the desk for support.

"Very funny," Tecuo muttered, looking blearily up at the clock. He started, realizing it was time for lunch.

"What were you _doing_ last night, anyway?" Soria asked as Tecuo let out a huge yawn.

Tecuo didn't reply—but she caught him glance down at the thing he was wearing.

"You should have been asleep!" Kania admonished.

Tecuo grinned ruefully at her. "I know, but I couldn't get to sleep last night."

Kania sighed, shaking her head. "Tecuo, Tecuo…what ever are we going to do with you?"

Tecuo's grinned widened. "Whatever you do, just don't stop me from getting lunch! I'm _starving!_"

Soria grinned. "So'm I! Race you both to the cafeteria!"

* * *

"Hey, Tecuo—want to come over to my house for dinner?" 

Tecuo thought for a minute. "I don't know…I'd have to ask my mom…"

"_Pleeeease?_" Soria begged. "Come on, we can help each other out with our homework! And you can meet my parents—Kania's, too, since they're coming!"

Tecuo nodded. "Sure—sounds like fun! I'll ask my mom when I get home!"

Soria pumped her fist in the air. "_Yes!_ See you there, Tecuo! Ask your mom if she'll come, too!"

Tecuo waved at her, and began to walk home. _Fun…it'll be really fun._

_/You know, you three remind me of Yugi and his friends._

Tecuo nearly jumped out of his skin. **_/Ya-_mi!_ Don't scare me like that!_**

Yami laughed ruefully. _/I'm sorry, Tecuo—I keep forgetting that you don't realize I'm here. It was like that for a time with Yugi, too. He and his friends didn't realize I was there, until Yugi told them what I had to say._

Tecuo sighed. "This is seriously getting weirder," he murmured to himself.

"Is it? Well, I think it's about to get even more strange."

Tecuo nearly jumped out of his skin, and looked sharply to his left. Yami was standing there—faint and semi-transparent, but there all the same.

At the astounded expression on Tecuo's face, Yami chuckled. "You should see yourself. You look as if you've seen a ghost."

"Technically, I _have,_" Tecuo muttered sourly. Then; "No one else can see you except me, unless you want them to, right?"

Yami nodded. "You're also the only one who can hear me."

"Oh." Tecuo glanced nervously over his shoulder. "Then why's that girl staring at you?"

Yami whipped around. Sure enough, a little girl who couldn't have been more than seven with burnished gold hair, a deep bronze tan, and bright blue eyes was staring fixedly at Yami, mouth slightly agape. She appeared to have just stepped out of one of the shops.

"I'd better go," Yami murmured, and faded away.

Tecuo smiled nervously at the girl, and continued to walk. His mind was racing.

_How could she see Yami? According to him, I'm the only one that can see him!_

_**/…Something's not quite right here, Tecuo—I can sense it.**_

_/Heh. You don't have to tell _me_ twice!

* * *

_

"Marissa!" a male voice scolded. "It's rude to stare at strangers!"

The little girl looked up at the man who had walked out of the shop behind her. "But _Papa—_"

Marissa's foster father sighed, running his fingers through his bleach-blond hair. "No, Marissa. You're not supposed to stare at people like that."

Marissa shook her head. "Papa, I saw someone disappear! Exactly like you told me the other ones did!"

Marissa's father raised an eyebrow. "What 'other ones'?"

Marissa tried to remember. "The ones that came from those Items. The ones that used to live in Egypt. I just saw a short boy walking with a tall boy, and when they saw me, the tall boy disappeared. Why don't you believe me?"

Marissa's father turned a little. Worried lavender eyes scanned the street. "Marissa…I _do_ believe you. And…that's why I'm worried."

Marissa tugged on her father's hand. "Weren't we gonna go see your old friends, Papa?"

Her father nodded. "Yes. That's where we're headed right now."

_And now, I have an even more important reason to go,_ he thought grimly.

* * *

"C'mon, Mom! _Pleeeease?_" 

Mrs. Mutou laughed. "All right, all right! You can go to Soria's house for dinner!"

Tecuo pumped his fist in the air. "Thanks, Mom!"

He turned to run off—and stopped. "Soria wanted to know if you'd come, too."

Mrs. Mutou nodded. "Sure."

"Thanks!"

Tecuo ran up the stairs and flopped down on his bed. "This is gonna be great!" he breathed.

Yami appeared next to him, looking speculatively around. "For some reason, I keep seeing these walls covered in Duel Monsters posters…was this Yugi's room when he was younger?"

Tecuo nodded. "That's what Mom told me."

Yami sighed. "I keep forgetting it's so much farther in the future…I expect to see things, and they aren't there any more. When you entered the shop, I almost expected to see Yugi's grandfather sitting at the counter, and the shelves organized and well-dusted…like they used to be…"

"Great-grandpa died before I was born," Tecuo said quietly.

"Oh."

There was silence for a moment. Tecuo's thoughts turned for the hundredth time to his father. Where _was_ he? Where had he _been_ for the past ten years?

Yami nudged him in the side with his elbow. "Tecuo…"

"Yeah?"

"Do you duel?"

Tecuo stiffened. "No, I _don't_ duel!" he replied sharply.

Yami winced at Tecuo's harsh tone of voice. "Sorry."

Tecuo closed his eyes. "No…" he said slowly. "_I'm_ the one that should be saying sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you like that." He looked up at the ceiling. "It's hard living in my dad's shadow…everyone expects me to be as good as, if not better than, him. Even if I _did_ duel, I'd like to be known as Tecuo Mutou—not as Yugi Mutou's son."

Yami put his hand on Tecuo's shoulder. "I understand," he said quietly.

Tecuo felt an odd sense of gratitude flow through him at those words. "Thanks," he replied softly.

Yami smiled a little. Tecuo's mind worked almost exactly like his father's.

"Tecuo!" Mrs. Mutou called. "It's time to go! I hope you know where Soria lives!"

"Yeah, Mom—I'll be right down!"

Tecuo looked up at Yami. "Are you coming?"

Yami grinned ruefully. "Are you going to wear the Puzzle?"

Tecuo touched the Puzzle. "Oh yeah…I'd forgotten aboutthat."

Yami stood up. "Have fun. If you need me, I'll be right here." And he faded away.

Tecuo grinned, exiting his room. Yami was strange company—but strange was better than none, he supposed. Besides, Yami had good advice on a lot of things.

_**/You there, Yami?**_

He could sense Yami laughing. _/Where else would I be?_

**_/Just checking. I'm going to take the Puzzle off now._**

Yami seemed to groan. _/When you do that, I feel like I'm trapped in a dead body—like I'm blind, deaf, mute, and unable to feel._

**_/But I have to._** That was always what Tecuo said—he _had_ to. He didn't know why, but he felt like he had to hide the Puzzle from his mother—for now, at least.

Yami sighed resignedly. _/Fine. Just keep it close to you—that way, at least, I'll be able to hear. Maybe even see._

_**/Dramatist.**_

_/It's true!_

Tecuo grinned, slipping the Puzzle into his backpack. He loved Yami's sense of humor.

"What's taking so long?" Mrs. Mutou called exasperatedly.

"Nothing!" Tecuo replied quickly. "I just promised to help Soria and Kania with their algebra, and I had to find it!"

Mrs. Mutou sighed. "Well, if you're finished, then let's get going. I'd like to meet these friends of yours."

* * *

**Uh...I know it's a lame ending, but I honestly couldn't figure out how to finish. Anyway, stay tuned! Review, please! Sugar cookies all around!**

**PS: See if you can't guess who Marissa's father is! First fivepeople to get it right get five of mymy awesome, frosting-and-sprinkles sugar cookies--each! I'll announce the winners at the end of the next chapter!**


	7. Complications

**Heh...finally, I get this chapter up. I know my reviewers have been dying with suspense, so here you go!

* * *

Complications **

_Ding-dong…_

"I'll get it!" Soria called, running over to the door. She looked out the peephole—and raised her eyebrows. Someone was covering it with their hand.

"Hey, Dad? I can't see who it is!"

Mr. Wheeler came up, and looked out the window. A grin spread across his face. "Let me take care of this."

Slowly, he twisted the knob—and pulled the door suddenly inward. The man on the other side let out a surprise yelp, tumbling over on his side.

Mr. Wheeler laughed, tousling the man's bleach-blond hair. "Ya always did fall fer dat one, Marik!" he admonished, dropping into the Brooklyn accent from his teen years.

The man rose to his feet, dusting himself off. His lavender eyes danced with amusement. "I should have known you'd pull that one on me."

Soria looked from her father to the man. "Do you two know each other?"

Mr. Wheeler nodded. "This is Marik Ishtar. He was with us in the Battle City tournament—remember, we told you about that?"

Soria nodded. "The one where Yugi Mutou kicked Seto Kaiba's butt for about the hundredth time in a row?"

Mr. Wheeler and Mr. Ishtar laughed. "That's the one!"

Mr. Ishtar looked behind him. "Come on in, Marissa—it's all right. These are my friends."

A little girl with hair the color of burnished gold and sharp blue eyes entered the house, and smiled shyly at them.

"All right, folks, what's all the commotion about down here?"

Everyone looked over at the stairs. Mrs. Wheeler stood there, hand on the banister, watching them curiously. She was wearing a long green skirt and a white shirt. Her hair was gelled—Soria saw that it was the same way she had it as a teen.

"Is that _you,_ Marik?" she exclaimed, hurrying over.

Mr. Ishtar grinned. "Hello, Mai. Long time no see."

Mr. Bakura looked in from the living room. "_Marik?_ Is it really?" He strode out into the hall and clasped Mr. Ishtar's hand. "It's been too long!"

Mrs. Bakura followed. "Where've you been all this time?" she asked suspiciously.

"In Egypt," Mr. Ishtar replied nonchalantly.

Mrs. Bakura grinned. "Good enough for me!"

Kania darted out after her mother. "Soria! Soria, I—"

"Hush!" Soria hissed.

Mrs. Wheeler knelt down so that she was on eye level with Marissa. "Hey there, hon. What's your name?"

"My name's Marissa," she replied shyly. "I'm five, but papa says I'm kinda tall for five. I live with him after he took me from the place with the other kids."

"I adopted her," Mr. Ishtar explained.

Mrs. Bakura nodded. "Well, Marissa, how would you like to help me make dinner?"

Marissa nodded. "Okay!"

Mrs. Wheeler stood up, and she, Mrs. Bakura, and Marissa went off to the kitchen.

Mr. Wheeler shook his head. "Mai would never admit it, but she's got a soft spot for little kids."

Mr. Bakura looked at Soria and Kania. "You girls stay over here and watch out for your friend—we've got to catch up on events." The three grown men walked off, chattering quietly to each other.

Soria and Kania raised their eyebrows at each other, but didn't comment.

_Ding-dong…_

Soria looked out the peephole again.

"Da-ad…someone's doing it again!"

Mr. Wheeler entered the hall again, a confused look on his face. "Marik's the only one who does that, though…"

He did the same thing as before—slowly turning the knob, and then jerking the door inward. This time, it was Tecuo that tumbled in, yelping with surprise.

"_Tecuo!_" Kania and Soria exclaimed, exasperated.

Tecuo grinned sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "Sorry!"

Mr. Wheeler gawked at him for a moment. "Girls—who—"

Soria grinned. "Dad, this is Tecuo Mutou. Tecuo—this is my dad."

Tecuo grinned up at Mr. Wheeler, rising to his feet and dusting himself off. "Hi, Mr. Wheeler—sorry about the prank. I just couldn't help myself."

Mr. Wheeler started, and shook his head. "Uh—never mind that." His voice had a distracted tone. "Are you here alone?"

Tecuo banged his palm against his forehead. "Mom!" He darted out the door, dropping his backpack in the middle of the hall.

Kania sighed, shaking her head. "Tecuo Mutou, what are we going to do with you…?"

Mr. Wheeler went back into the kitchen, shaking his head. "No way," he murmured.

"No way _what?_" Mrs. Wheeler asked, touching his arm.

"Hunh? Oh—nothing. You'll see."

Meanwhile, Tecuo and Mrs. Mutou had just come back to the door. "C'mon, Mom! In here!"

Mrs. Mutou laughed. "I'm coming, Tecuo, I'm coming!"

Kania smiled, bowing. "Hello, Mrs. Mutou."

Soria grinned. "Yeah, hi, and welcome to the wreck—uh, I mean, house."

Mrs. Mutou grinned. "Don't worry—this house is certainly neater than ours!"

Mr. Wheeler looked back out into the hall. "Soria, Kania, your mothers need you in the—"

"_Joey?_ Is that _you?_"

Mr. Wheeler blinked, and looked at Mrs. Mutou. He blinked again. "_Rebecca?_"

Mrs. Mutou smiled. "The one and only!"

A grin spread across Mr. Wheeler's face. "'Ey, guys!" he called over his shoulder, dropping into the accent again. "Look who da cat dragged in!"

Mrs. Bakura looked out of the kitchen. "Rebecca! We haven't seen you in years!" They were soon joined by Mrs. Wheeler, Mr. Bakura, and Mr. Ishtar.

Tecuo grinned, and began edging around the crowd of chattering adults to get to Kania and Soria—

"Tecuo! Come here, please!"

Tecuo groaned. "Coming, Mom…"

He felt the eyes of all the adults watching him as he trotted to his mother's side. The back of his neck was beginning to feel hot—he knew they were comparing him to his father.

"This is Tecuo," Mrs. Mutou said, laying her hand on his shoulder.

Mrs. Wheeler smiled. "He looks exactly like Yugi!"

"Except for his hair," Mr. Ishtar said, grinning. "But the only difference _there_ is the coloring on the edges!"

Tecuo blushed a little, muttered something about needing to work on algebra, and ran for the stairs.

"It's _not_ funny," he growled at Soria, who was doubled over with silent laughter.

Kania grinned apologetically. "It is, kind of. Now, let's go upstairs—we have some algebra to work on!" Tecuo nodded.

Suddenly, the comfortable warmth of the Puzzle in his backpack became a searing heat. _/Tecuo! My friends!_

Tecuo yelped—out loud, as well as in his mind. **_/Turn off the heat!_**

Soria looked at him. "What?"

"Nothing," Tecuo said quickly. "I just caught my back on something in my backpack."

**_/What are you _doing?_ That _hurt!**

_/Those are my friends—were my friends, from when I was with Yugi!_

**_/So?_** Tecuo grumped.

_/Umm…_

**_/Thought so. _Please_ don't do that again._**

Yami's voice was much subdued. _/All right.

* * *

_

The second the three of them were gone, Mr. Ishtar turned to the other adults. "There's something very important I have to tell you all." His grave tone and expression froze the others dead. They knew he wasn't joking.

Mrs. Wheeler sighed. "Come into the living room. We can sit and talk there."

Mr. Ishtar nodded. The five of them went into the living room and sat down on couches.

"Marissa!" he called. The little girl came out of the dining room at sat in his lap, looking for all the world like a life-sized china doll.

"Earlier this morning," Mr. Ishtar said quietly, "Marissa saw something very strange. I don't know what it could mean—and that is why it's so disturbing."

Mr. Bakura nodded. "Go on. I have a feeling we need to hear this."

Mr. Ishtar leaned forward a little. "Marissa, why don't you tell them what you saw?"

Marissa nodded. "I was waiting for Papa to come out of a shop, and I saw two boys walking on the street. The shorter one saw me, and told the taller one. The taller one said something else, and then disappeared."

Mrs. Bakura jumped a little. "Into thin air?"

Marissa nodded gravely. "Into thin air."

"Just like…_he_…used to do," Mr. Bakura murmured, shivering a little. Mrs. Bakura patted his arm comfortingly.

Mr. Wheeler looked grim. "Was either of them wearing anything unusual?"

Marissa thought for a minute. "The shorter boy had this gold upside-down triangle thingy around his neck—I didn't see it very well, though."

Mr. Ishtar looked around at them all. "I don't know how—or why—but one thing is for sure. The Millennium Items are returning to the world at large."

Mr. Bakura groaned. "Oh, Lord…this _can't_ bode well."

Mrs. Bakura nodded grimly. "I don't think it will."

* * *

"Tecuo, for the last time—_what the heck is that thing?_"

Tecuo shook his head, running a finger along the edge of the Puzzle, which he'd once again slipped around his neck. "I don't think I'm supposed to tell you."

Kania raised her eyebrows. "Hunh?"

Tecuo shook his head again. "I don't know—there's just this feeling that I'm not the one who's supposed to tell you."

Soria rolled her eyes. "'Tevah. Your choice; your funeral."

Tecuo grinned a little. "Whatever you say, Soria. Now, let's get back to this horrible algebra stuff."

Kania, who had long since finished her homework, wandered aimlessly around the room. She'd been to this house many times, but there was always something new piled up in the mess that was Soria's room. Suddenly, a glimmer of something gold caught her eye. Curious, she looked closer.

It was a necklace, made entirely of gold. In the center was a strange carving that looked like an eye. "Hmm," she murmured, reaching out for it.

"Kania!"

Kania jumped. "Hunh?"

Soria smirked. "What are you doing? Gold-digging?"

"Sort of," Kania admitted, holding up the strange necklace. "Look what I found."

Soria's forehead creased into a frown. "Huh. I've never seen that before. I wonder…" She went over to the corner where Kania had been, and looked around. "Hey, there's something else shoved back here!"

She pulled out another gold item. It was shaped like an ankh, and had the very same eye symbol carved into the crosspiece. "I _know_ I've never seen these before!" she exclaimed, confused.

Neither of them noticed that Tecuo had a look that was half-shock and half-recognition on his face.

_**/Yami! Those are—**_

_/The Millennium Key and Necklace,_ Yami completed, equal shock in his voice. _/But—how?_

Soria looked around. "I know I've got something in here," she muttered, going over to her desk and rummaging around through the drawers.

"Aha! Here it is!" She pulled out a rope similar to the one Tecuo had on the Puzzle, and threaded it through the top of the Key. She then tied it around her neck. "There! Perfect!" She looked at Kania. "Put yours on."

Kania carefully fastened the Necklace around her neck, hands trembling a little. "Soria—I have a bad feeling about these things."

Soria paused, and ran her finger along the edge of the Key. "Yeah…so do I."

"Welcome to the club," Tecuo said quietly. "Something's going on with these things—I don't think they're supposed to be here, but here they are."

"Something's fishy about this whole thing," Kania murmured.

"Kids!" Mrs. Wheeler called up the stairs. "Dinner time!"

"In a minute, Mom!" Soria called back. She took a deep breath, and looked at Tecuo. "I think you should tell them about your…whatever the heck that thing is. And then we can show them ours."

Tecuo nodded. "Sounds like a plan to me."

Soria tucked the Key beneath her shirt. Kania pulled up her collar, hiding the Necklace.

"Well," Soria said finally, "I guess it's time to hit the range, and catch our share of friendly fire…"

Tecuo snorted, pushing open the door. "Knowing my luck, the chances that the fire is going to be 'friendly' are slim to none!"

* * *

**All right. The winners--in order--ARE:**

**AnimeMangaKat  
Bakura-N-Me  
Yimi Makuya  
Silver Sailor Ganymede  
AND  
Atemabell!**

**Congrats! Lotsa sugar cookies for you!**

**Also receiving honorable mention, for getting the right answers but placing after #5:**

**puppyface  
AND  
Mithrilsword Magechild!**

**You get cookies, too! YAAY! Everyone gets cookies! BWAHAHAHAHA! SUGAR!**

**Ahem...I'm calm now.**

**Review, please!**


End file.
